Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Instructions to Bali, Shloka 44

Prahlada’s Instructions to Bali on Vishnu Worship, Monthly Gifts, and Building Hari’s Temple

Devanagari script

इत्थं पितॄणां वचनं श्रुत्वा नृपतिसत्तमः चकारायतनं भूम्यां ख्यं च लिम्पतासुर

Transliteration

itthaṃ pitṝṇāṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā nṛpatisattamaḥ cakārāyatanaṃ bhūmyāṃ khyaṃ ca limpatāsura

Translation

“Having thus heard the words of the Pitṛs, the best of kings caused a shrine to be made upon the ground, and (had it) renowned; and the Asura applied plaster/daubed (it) (i.e., carried out the coating/finishing work).”

Speakers

• Narrator describing the king’s response after hearing the Pitṛs

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Temple foundation and patronage
• Obedience to Pitṛ-instruction
• Merit through construction/renovation
• Sacred architecture as dharma

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Who is the ‘Asura’ here, and why is an Asura involved in temple work?

Without the immediately surrounding verses, ‘asura’ can be read either as a specific Asura figure in the narrative or as a class-term for a non-deva being acting as a laboring agent. Purāṇic narratives sometimes depict Asuras compelled, converted, or employed in acts that ultimately serve dharma, underscoring the supremacy of the sacred order and the transformative pull of the kṣetra.

What does ‘limpatā’ indicate about the kind of temple activity described?

It points to practical finishing work—plastering/coating walls or surfaces—suggesting not only founding a shrine but also beautifying and completing it, aligning with the prior verse’s emphasis on citra/ornamentation and temple upkeep.

Does ‘khyaṃ ca’ mean the king made the shrine famous, or that it was already famous?

In context it most naturally means the king established it as a celebrated/recognized shrine—either by formal consecration, endowments, or public acts (festivals, offerings) that made the āyatana ‘khya’ (renowned) in the sacred landscape.